By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
Do you know the current health of your organization’s Cognos environment? Is your Cognos system mature, up-to-date and conforms to industry standards? Is your Cognos platform efficient and organized? Do you want to be dedicated to making sure your Cognos system is healthy?

While organizations focus on utilizing Cognos software to its fullest through training and best practices, it is also important to think about your Cognos system’s overall health to ensure that the architecture is stable, logical, clean and fully-functional.

Through PerformanceG2’s complimentary Cognos Health Check service, your system is assessed by certified technical specialists who know what they are doing, know what they are looking for and can provide recommendations on how you can get your system cleaned up. They do this by reviewing the overall system and architecture through a validation process, scan the content store for corruption, check for broken reports and inconsistencies, identify broken links and run a variety of other diagnostics to offer a full-view, and grade of the health of your Cognos platform.

To take advantage of our Cognos Health Check service, call us at (877) 742-4276 or email us at info@performanceg2.com and see how you can get started.
 


 
 
 
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By Craig Harding, Consultant for PerformanceG2
 

Better performance will be realized by using parameters and prompts within Model Query Subjects, filter objects or stand alone calculations. This will allow for better SQL generation than inserting them within the SQL of a Datasource Query Subject.

These recommendations lead to better SQL generation, which in turn, leads to better performance.

Nearly any prompting can be done in a Model Query Subject:
[Product dimension].[Product line].[PRODUCT_LINE_CODE] =
#prompt(‘Product Line Code’, ‘integer’, ‘1’)#

Same with Calculations:
Case [Product dimension].[Product line].[PRODUCT_LINE_CODE]
When #prompt(‘Target Product Line Code’, ‘integer’, ‘1’)# then 1
Else 0
End

The added benefit of placing prompts in a stand alone calculation is that if the report author does not use the calculation, then the prompt is no longer needed. There is no need to add this case statement to the Base SQL.

When using calculations and filter objects in Model Query Subjects or as stand alone objects, the Datasource Query Subjects can be left untouched. This means the SQL remains minimized and eliminates the need to fetch metadata.

 
 
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By Craig Colangelo, Sr Consultant for PerformanceG2
 
Many of us don’t have the budget to implement elaborate logging schemes into our smaller SSIS projects. That being said, even the smallest amount of logging will pay for itself the first time something blows up. In my experience, some logging, no matter how simple, is better than none.

Logging allows you to better understand load errors, diagnose longer batch run times and flush our load inefficiencies – just to name a few key benefits. In SSIS, logging can be as intricate or simple as you would like. Using just system variables and event handlers, you can create a functional logging system. Writing key system variable output during select events like OnError, OnPreExecute and OnPostExecute at the package container level, gives you a good idea of what is going on in every piece of your package. A few useful system variables are PackageName, SourceName, ErrorCode, ErrorDescription, StartTime, ContainerStartTime and MachineName. Writing to a log table with datediff’s between getdate() and desired system time variable, gets you very useful run time semantics. Through in row count tasks, user variables and send mail at various steps, and you have got a solid logging scheme. Spending the extra time upfront to implement the right level of logging in even your smallest projects will, undoubtedly save you diagnosis time in the future.

 
 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
Are you a Business Intelligence Admin looking for more transparency in your BI environment? This awesome app by Motio, MotioPI FREEware for IBM Cognos, allows you to investigate your BI environment’s components, users, content, report details, schedules, dependencies and more. It is the perfect tool to become familiar with a new environment, identify constraints, monitor usage behavior and ensure that your IBM Cognos BI environment is aligned with your resources and infrastructure for optimal performance.

The best part about this app, is that it is a free tool, designed with IBM Cognos BI admins in mind. Watch this short MotioPI demo to learn more about the app and what it can do. Or to start using the free tool, click here to download it.
 

Motio and PerformanceG2, together provide complete and comprehensive solutions and products for organizations to achieve maximum return on their BI and Financial Planning investments. For more information on the Motio and PerformanceG2 partnership, visit performanceg2.com/about/partners/
 
 
And if you are interested in learning how PerformanceG2 can help meet your needs with BI solutions, email us at info@performanceg2.com or call 877.742.4272. Or for complete access to BI, CPM and Cognos industry news, updates and tips and techniques, follow us on Twitter, become a fan on Facebook, watch our YouTube Videos or connect with us on LinkedIn.
 
 
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Kirk Wiseman, VP of Training for PerformanceG2
 
For many organizations, TM1 is a critical application that must be maintained as a 24×7 enterprise application. In these cases, it is not acceptable to shutdown the TM1 server to perform a backup. TM1 provides organizations the ability to maintain 24×7 uptime, and also perform regular backups of the data directory. Several changes will need to be made to the default settings of the TM1 server configuration file (tm1s.cfg) in order to perform a live backup successfully.

The advantages of this method include ease of administration, 24×7 system uptime and automation which can be created within TM1 using Turbo Integrator and Chores. The disadvantages of this method include initial configuration that must be performed, and the possibility of lost data between “saves” if the data directory files become corrupt.

The following steps must be performed in order to run backups from a live TM1 server:

1) Modify the default TM1 server configuration file (tm1s.cfg)

• Point the log files to a location other than the data directory by inserting the “LoggingDirectory” parameter in the configuration file. By default, TM1 writes log files to the data directory. Since these files will be open and active while the TM1 server is running, any attempt to back them up will result in a file sharing violation and may cause a backup process to fail.
• Verify that the “AuditLogOn” parameter is set to ‘F’. This is the default setting, however if the “AuditLogOn” parameter is set to ‘T’, then as in the case above with the transaction logs, open and active files will be in the data directory. Attempting a backup will cause a file sharing violation which may result in a backup failure.

2) The administrator must perform, or must set up automation to perform, a “Save Data All” command. This command should be executed immediately prior to backing up the TM1 server. This command takes all changed data in RAM and saves it to the TM1 data directory files, where it is then able to be captured in the back up process.

3) Backup all files in the TM1 data directory

• Create a batch file called tm1back.bat that has the following script: “C:\program files\winzip\winzip32.exe” -a -p -r c:\backup\tm1backup.zip “C:\<tm1data folder>\*.*”

4) This process can easily be automated through the use of Turbo Integrator calling the batch file and scheduling the Turbo Integrator job via the TM1 Chores.

• Expand the TM1 sever and click on “Processes”;
• Click on the “Advanced” tab;
• Click on the “Epilog” tab;
• Below the “#****End: Generated Statements****” line, type the following:
  SaveDataAll;
  ExecuteCommand(‘C:\<folder where you saved the batch file>\TM1backup.bat’,0);
• Click on the “Save” icon or choose from the menu, “File” > “Save As…”
• Enter a name for the process, for example Backup
• Next, click on the “Schedule” tab;
• Check the box “Schedule this process as a chore named:”;
• Enter a name for the new Chore, for example Backup Chore
• Choose a start date and a frequency and then click “Save”

There you have it – a scheduled backup procedure that will create a backup of your TM1 server without having to shutdown the server!
 
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By Craig Colangelo, Sr Consultant for PerformanceG2
 
Requirement was to display crosstab intersection as a ratio in HTML output, but retain conventional decimal format for the data item itself (for further downstream computation and at a different scale). Consequent for the ratio was to always be 1. Could not add additional data items.

There are several possible solutions to this problem. Couldn’t use any form of casting to string, as I needed decimal downstream…and at finer scale than display. Also couldn’t add a one off version just for display. Decided to use the solution described below as it met my needs well for this particular problem. Decided to share it because the Pattern property is not very well documented and took trial and error to get right syntax.

In the Crosstab Intersection’s properties -> Data -> Data Format -> Number (2 decimal places) -> Pattern property….set to ###.##’:1′. This will take 3.544432112 and display it as 3.54:1, while retaining the integrity of the decimal itself…so that it can be used downstream at more precise scale for other calculations.

 
 
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By Craig Harding, Consultant for PerformanceG2
 

To try this, build a real simple list report and add staff name and revenue.

Add a value prompt to the report page. Name the parameter sort, and click ‘finish’. Add two static choices through the properties pane of the value prompt. For the first static choice, display value will be ascending with a use value of 1. For the second static choice, set the display value to descending, and the use value to -1.
 

 

You must add a default selection in order to avoid being prompted on report load. This can be done through the properties of the prompt. I put a value of 1 in the default selections for ascending.

Also, set the auto submit property to yes.

Add a data item to the query. The expression should read [Revenue]*?sort? (no need to type this, drag and drop from the insert-able objects pane). Name the data item sortkey and set the presort property to ascending.

Return to page one and select the list. The properties property of the list must have the sortkey checked.
 

 
Run the report to test.
 

 

 
 
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Kirk Wiseman, VP of Training for PerformanceG2
 
Often with large text items, the Select and Search prompt display areas are not wide enough to display the data. Here’s a way to make the display areas dynamically re-size to meet the demands of the wider data:

1. Locate and backup the file ..\c8\webcontent\prompting\properties.js located on the Cognos 8 gateway component.

2. Set the SYSTEMPROPERTY_CSEARCH_AUTO_RESIZE_RESULT_LIST to true.

See below:
————————————————————————–
// Copyright (C) 2008 Cognos ULC, an IBM Company. All rightsreserved.
// Cognos (R) is a trademark of Cognos ULC, (formerly CognosIncorporated).
/* Use this file to override flags in the prompt controls. */
/*
Use the following flag to disable search request when the user press Enter in the search input box.
This is a workaround to prevent searches when users use japanese IME input control.
*/
var Search_DisableEnterKeyAutoSubmit = false;
var SYSTEMPROPERTY_CSEARCH_AUTO_RESIZE_RESULT_LIST = true;
var SYSTEMPROPERTY_CREATE_CUSTOM_SCRIPTS_REFS = true;
var SYSTEMPROPERTY_CUSTOM_SCRIPTS_OVERRIDE_FORM_SUBMIT = false;
var SYSTEMPROPERTY_REORDER_DROPDOWN_VALUES_IN_RANGES = false;
—————————————————————————-
The Select and Search prompt control display areas are variable width and therefore wide information is no longer cut off.

 
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By Candace Taylor, Marketing Coordinator for PerformanceG2
 
The February edition of PerformanceG2’s eNewsletter, InSight, is now available – this month includes must-read BI articles, Cognos TM1 and Cognos Express Webinars, as well as free upcoming events.

Sign up to receive our BI and CPM industry newsletter here: http://ow.ly/19YDs. Or email us and we will personally send you the most recent edition.
 

 
Looking for other ways to meet those performance management goals? Connect with us at info@performanceg2.com or call 877.742.4276. We will work with you and provide options on the best BI, CPM, FPM, data warehousing, consulting and staffing solutions out there.
 
 
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By Craig Harding, Consultant for PerformanceG2
 
 
Slow rendering portal pages?

If you are having trouble getting your portal pages to render in a decent amount of time here is a little trick that can greatly improve performance.

When rendering a report in Cognos viewer portlet, in a portal page, the hour glass may just spin and spin. If the report runs fine on its own and is only slow in a portal page, then try this: instead of using a Cognos viewer portlet to render the report, use an HTML viewer portlet instead. I have used this technique for a dramatic increase in performance with multiple clients.

Stay tuned for more “tricks of the day” blog posts through out the next couple of months!

 
 
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